How many idiots does it take to change a HID headlight bulb?

...apparently just one (me)!

So tonight after work I decided to go ahead and tackle the job of changing the passenger HID bulb as it has been intermittently working the past few weeks.

I checked out the directions at PriusDIY.com and this site and felt pretty confident in my abilities. Although I'm no mechanic I can follow directions rather well and even watched a couple of videos to boost my confidence.

I removed the outer most push button holding the engine cover and then removed the push button and windshield fluid tube. I also decided to unfasten the two connectors near the windshield fluid reservoir and the connector to the back of the HID cover to give myself some extra space.

After a couple of moments wiggling the cover back and forth I got it to pop loose. I then removed the wire retaining clips and out popped the HID bulb! It had a large white spot on the glass which indicated it had indeed seen better days.

I inserted the new HID bulb, reinstalled the metal clips and reinstalled the wiring harness. I decided to check and make sure the HID bulb was functioning properly before putting everything back together so I went and turned on the headlight switch and nothing! Wth I'm thinking I must have somehow damaged the bulb because the driver side light was working just fine.

OK, so since I ordered two bulbs I decided to try out the other one and see if I had indeed damaged the first bulb. Here's where the fun begins..........

Somehow I managed to get one side of the metal fasteners on incorrectly as I could not get it loose to save my life! I struggled for at least 15 minutes trying to get the "bad" bulb back out with no luck. Wife calls me inside for dinner so I stubbornly head in for some grub while thinking about how I had managed to screw up a perfectly easy bulb change.

After dinner I head back out to the garage and get back to work. After at least another 15 minutes of wrangling with the metal clip I finally get it to pop loose on both sides and out comes the bulb! Hallelujah the DIY Gods have smiled downed upon me and I can now install my other new bulb!

I go ahead and install the second new bulb with no issues, and again decide to test before putting everything back together. I flip the headlight switch and drumroll.......................NOTHING! Wth SMH $%%^^&#$%%# and a few other thoughts are going through my head. I'm sure I've just been suckered into buying two bad bulbs off eBay and now I'll have to wait for replacements!

So...I decide to go ahead and reinstall the original bulb so I can at least put the car back together and finish for the night. I get the old bulb installed with no problems and again go to test before putting things back together. Turn the switch on and nothing!! OMG Wth OMG WTH OMG SMH OMG Wth WTH and so on and so forth.

And then folks, that is when the proverbial light switch in my head clicked on. Remember that little connector I disconnected from the back of the headlight housing? Yeah, that one that provides all the power to the headlight. Well, it turns out it needs to be connected to work!!!!

I plugged it back in, turned the switch and the DIY Gods said "let there be light" and there was light! Beautiful, white, bright glowing light! Oh the glory! I saw Blue and he was glorious!!!!

Well, I got a good chuckle out of the ordeal and learned another valuable lesson in patience and checking for the obvious. I decided to take a break and not install the other new bulb in the driver side tonight as I could only stand so much stupidity in one day.

I hope my little story will someday help some other idiot when it comes to changing a light bulb!